Can opener



Y. NAGANO.

CAN OPENER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 1921.

1,402,437, Patented Jan. 3,1922.

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YASHUHIKO NAGANO, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAN" OPENER.

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' Application filed April 27.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be'it known that I, YAsHUHIKo NAGANO, a citizen of the United 'States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Fran cisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can openers of the pivot arm type. It has for its object to simplify and improve the construction and operation and to render the device applicable to cans of various sizes without readjustment.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 shows the plan view of the device applied to a can.

Fig. 2 shows side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 shows an end elevation of the same.

In its present form the device employs a rigid arm 10 fitted with a downwardly projecting cutting blade 11, and having a handle 12 at its outer end. The inner end of the arm is adapted to extend over the top of the can and is pivotally connected to a link 13, which, in turn, connects with the intermediate portion of a gripper arm 14. Said gripper arm has a handle 15 at its outer end and is fitted at its inner end with a gripping device 16 to engage the rim of the can. The link 13 is also fitted with a downwardly extending lug 17 to engage the flanged rim of the can top at the inside.

The cutting blade 11 being pointed is forced into the can top near the rim and the handles of the device are brought together and the gripping device 16 is placed against the rim of the can as shown in Fig. 1. At the same time, the lug on the link 13 engages the flanged rim at the inside so that when the handles are spread apart, the gripping device 16 presses inwardly on the rim of the can while the lug 17 presses downwardly and thereby the can is tightly gripped and rotated in a direction to force the cutting blade through the metal of the can top. By reason of the link 13 and location of its pivotal connections, a toggle action takes place which increases the pressure of the gripping device on the can rim in direct proportion to the increase in the force supplied in a downward direction on the handle 15. WVhen the handles are spread to the extent indicated in dotted line in Fig. 1, the handle 15 is re- Specification of'Letters Zatent.

Patented J an. 3, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 484,912.

turned to a position adjacent the handle '12 and the operation repeated until the can top is completely severed. I preferably arrange a spring 18 between the arms 10 and 1 1 to assist in bringing them together.

In prior devices of this general character, the pivoted arms are usually guided or swung around a central pivot which is provided by a pin or brad on one of the arms penetrating the can top at the center thereof. This form of operation makes necessary a different position of the cutting blade for different sizes of cans. In the present device, I dispense with center guides or pivots since by reason of the link 13 and the action of the gripping device, the cutter arm 10 will always have a downward thrust applied to it which insures that the cutting blade will maintain close engagement with the ininwardly. In practice, this form of device quickly and easily cuts a smooth edged circular incision entirely around the can top and accomplishes the same in a matter of four or five rotations.

Various changes may be employed in the construction and arrangement of this device without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A can opener comprising a rigid arm carrying a cutter blade and a two-part arm pivotally connected to the first mentioned arm and fitted with a gripping device intermediately thereon to engage the flanged rim of the can at the exterior and interior so that when the arms are spread apart, the can will be revolved in a direction to force the cutter blade through the can top adjacent to the rim thereof.

2. A can opener comprising a rigid arm carrying a cutting device intermediately thereon and having its inner end overlying the can top, a link pivoted to the inner end of the first mentioned arm and carrying a device to engage the flange-d rim of the can top at the inside thereof, and an arm pivoted to the link and having its inner end engaging the can at the exterior of the rim,whereby when the two arms are spread apart, the rim of the can Wlll be grlpped and the can ing a cuttin device intermediately thereon and having its inner end adapted to extend across a can top, a swinging link pivotally connected to the inner end of said arm and a gripper arm pivoted intermediate its ends to the link, and provided with means on its inner end to engage the rim of the can at its exterior, a downwardly extending lug on the link to engage the flanged rim of the can top at its inside and a guide on the cutter arm to engage the rim of the can to at its exterior.

YASHUHI O NAGANO. 

